


UnLucky Dice

by seizethosegays



Category: Newsies - All Media Types
Genre: Dice is Crutchies older sister, Mentions of Death, Mentions of Rape, Mentions of Suicide, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-11 01:16:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18419810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seizethosegays/pseuds/seizethosegays
Summary: Romeo just got kicked out of the Bronx lodge and finds himself in Manhattan. He’s friends with the rest of em, but one girl catches his eyeBefore he knows it he’s runnin all over New York looking for a story and her missing brother





	1. A Perculiar Friend

Some people said that the lodging house had somewhat of a creepy feeling to it. Usually, the people who said that were the people just passing by, or the ones staying for only a night or so. But, it was the newsies home. They lived there, they loved it. Sure, it got crowded and smelly and when someone got sick everyone was out for a few days trying to get better. But it was their home. And, yeah, maybe it did have a bit of a creepy feeling to it. But no one really minded it. No one really noticed. 

Then this one night Jack came home from sellin, he was with a kid. Now, it wasn’t all that unusual for Jack to be selling with one of the younger kids. But it wasn’t a newsie. A new kid. He was short, maybe about Henry’s height. Jack explained a bit about how things around the lodge worked, and where he’d sleep. Then the kid went off to his bed, and sat up on the top bunk. He didn’t really do much. 

Race shrugged and got up, taking the cigar out of his mouth. “Hey, new kid, you got a name?” he immediately stuck the unlit cigar back in his mouth and walked closer to the boy. 

“Yeah, do you?” he scoffed, rolling his eyes and playing with the hem of his shirt. Race opened his mouth to say something snarky, but he had nothing. “The name’s Romeo,” the kid shifted and let his legs dangle off the side of the bed. 

“Where ya from?” Race asked, trying to make a conversation. Afterall, he’d be living with the kid.  
“Bronx. Why?” Romeo glanced away from Race to the far corner of the room. He looked back at Race and cleared his throat. 

“Jus’ wantin to know,” the taller boy shrugged. “What ya lookin at, anyway?” 

“Nothin’,” he shrugged his shoulders and pulled his feet onto the bed. “It’s gettin late, we got work in the mornin. Go to bed.” Race rolled his eyes and walked off. 

Romeo sat and waited. He waited for everyone to go to bed. Not everyone did. Everyone but this one older kid was asleep. She looked a bit older than Jack. Dirty clothes, messy hair, looked just like any other newsie. But she wasn’t. She wasn’t a newsie at all. Sure, she could have been, but not now. Romeo was pretty sure she wasn’t alive. Or, she wasn’t supposed to be, at least. Romeo was pretty sure normal human beings can’t walk through walls.

Night after night, for about a month, he had seen her wandering the lodge at night. Well, during the day, too. But she was easier to see at night when no one else was awake. Romeo had started talking to her a week after he first saw her. She said that she’s a newsies trying to make some money, started selling in 1888, the younger newsies called her Dice, and her little brother had polio, but came to work as a newsie anyway.  
“Can I ask ya somethin’?” Romeo asked one night, sitting on the top step with Dice at his side.   
“Shoot,” she nodded, her hair bouncing as she did.

“I ain't meanin’ to sound rude, but….how'd ya, y'know, die?” Romeo looked down at his old shoes. He needed to save up for new ones before winter. 

“...what? I ain't- I’m dead?!” she jumped up and backed away from Romeo.

“You didn’t know?!” Romeo shouted, and immediately threw his hand over his mouth, afraid he’d wake up the other newsies. Dice started pacing back and forth, breathing heavily. 

“No, I didn’t know! All I knew is that i’m a newise, and I gotta get money for my brother,” she shook her head. Her hands were on her hips and she was pacing around. 

“We- we can ask Jack in the mornin’,” Romeo tried to calm her down. The morning bell rang and they both jumped. They could hear the newsies groan and Race run around trying to wake them up. Jack hobbled down stairs like papa newsie coming to collect his newslings for work. “Well, ask Jack now, he’s here.”

“I ain't askin’ him,” Dice shook her head. Romeo sighed and put his hands in his pockets. Acting as if nothing was wrong, he casually approached Jack.

“Hiya, Jack. Can I ask ya somethin’?” he asked. Jack adjusted his vest and nodded, giving Romeo the go ahead. “Ya know somethin’ about a newsie named Dice?” All the color drained from Jack’s face and he turned away from Romeo. 

“She, uh, used to sell here. Different newsie was in charge. Needed money for her brother. She had an accident, didn’t make it,” Jack helped a few younger newsies tie their shoes. When he was done, he looked at Romeo. “You can never, and I mean it, ya can’t ever tell Crutchie. Ever.” 

“Tell me what, Jack?” Crutchie came hobbling downstairs. Jack whirled around and gave the boy a fake smile. 

“Nothin’. Jus’ somethin’ Romeo needed,” Jack shrugged, goin off to help the other newsies. 

Romeo shrugged and went back over to Dice. She was waiting for an answer. When Romeo told her what Jack knew, she nodded and sighed. 

“Well, that solves that problem. Ya won't mind if I stick around, will ya?” she asked, looking like she’d be fine with either answer. 

“Stick around forever if ya want, I ain't ya boss,” he shrugged. “I gotta work, though. I’ll see ya later, Dice.” Romeo ran off to grab his hat and join the newsies as they went running out of the lodge. At least he knew why she was there.


	2. What Happened?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Romeo meets up with Spot Conlon to talk about Dice

It was about a month since Romeo moved into the lodge. He got along fine with the guys, but Dice was still his best friend. They found out why Dice died, but not how. More importantly, why couldn’t Romeo tell Crutchie? It didn’t make any sense. But he trusted Jack. 

It was late one night and Romeo was sitting on the steps talking to Dice. 

“Romeo, I… what kind of accident was I in?” Dice picked at the skin on her hand. 

“I ain’t got a clue. Jack never said anythin other than that yous had an accident,” the boy shrugged. He didn’t think much of it. But, he couldn’t help the curiosity. 

“Ya think we could find out?”

“I can ask around with some of the older ones. Theys bound to remember ya,” he nodded standing up and brushing off his pants. “I gotta sleep though I got sellin to do.” 

Morning came around and Romeo was miserable. Stayin up late every night really took a toll on him. But Dice had no one else to talk to. 

“Someone lookin a little tired,” Race smirked, buttoning his shirt and fastening his cap to his head. “Have an excitin night?”

“I was jus… up late,” Romeo shrugged. He was already dressed. He looked like a mess, but he was dressed. Ignoring Race’s taunting, he went with the rest of the guys to get their papers for the day. 

Romeo sold near the bridge. Dice came with him today. She was bored what else was she gonna do. 

“Yous know how crazy I look talkin to nothin?” Romeo let his arms flop to his side. Dice grinned. 

“We of course I does. And it’s funny. Besides I ain’t nothin,” her smile dropped. “I mean, I wasn’t nothin. Am now but I ain’t anymore.”

“No, hey,” the boy took a step forward. “You ain’t nothin. I didn’t mean it that way. I was jus meanin that no one else sees you and ise looks like I’m crazy. You ain’t nothin. Yous means things to people.”

“Like who? Romeo, I ain’t mean nothin no more. My brother probably don’t remember me. Hell he probably ain’t even alive.” 

“Now I’m sure that ain’t-“

“Who ya talking to kid?” A rough voice called from behind him. Romeo turned his head to see a short boy in a red sleeveless shirt. 

“No one,” he said quickly, leaning against the side of the bridge. The sad look Dice gave him broke his heart. “Someone.” 

“Who is it, kid?” The short term boy put down his bag of paper. 

“I ain’t know who you are I ain’t gotta tell ya,” Romeo wasn’t gonna tell this kid he was talking to a ghost. He looked behind him and there was a girl with faded red hair. A girl, maybe 12, dressed in a dress most people wear to church. 

“Spot Conlon,” the boy shoved his hands into his pockets. The little girl looked at Romeo and smiled. Romeo, ever the gentleman, smiled back. “Who ya smilin at?”

“No one you remember, Conlon,” he shrugged, Dice rolled her eyes at Romeo’s smug look. 

“Romeo for gods sake just tell em who i is and tell em bout the girl,” Dice was growing impatient. She knew Spot. Kind of. He was a distant memory. 

“I’m talkin to a newsies named Dice and smilin at the little girl followin you around,” Romeo watched as the color drained from Spot’s face. 

“Ain’t no way yous talkin to Dice,” Spot was unmoving. 

“You know Dice?” Romeo slumped his shoulders. 

“Yeah I knew her. Used to come to Brooklyn with Race so he’d keep an eye on her. Sick child she was.”

“I wasn’t that sick,” Dice protested. 

“Says she never that sick,” Romeo rolled his eyes. 

“Bullshit,” Spot’s voice broke a bit, “she was sicker than anyone I ever seen and it showed. Thin as can be, couldn’t walk straight, ran a fever every chance she got. She ain’t ever slowed down though. Bein sick ain’t never affected her much.” 

“What happened to me? Spotty ya gotta know somethin I haveta know what happened,” Dice stood in front of him, pleading. The little girl backed away a bit, but never strayed far from Spot. 

“How’d she die? Been askin for a while ‘n it’s drivin her up the wall.”

“Ain’t Jacky ever tell ya? Jumped right off the bridge one night. Fevers finally got to her and she jumped. Queens boy saw it an’ tried to stop her but she ain’t listen in and took a tumble. Went over to get her outta there and she was layin on some rock. Barely alive when he pulled her out but passed before he could reach help. Head was real banged up on her right side. Bruises everywhere. Looked like she ain’t had a good home life.”

“My home life was perfect, Romeo, perfect. Ain’t no way I got them bruises from home,” Dice was frantic. All this Information was too much. “Romeo I ain’t ever thought a’ jumpin in my life ain’t I way I woulda done it because of a darn fever I couldn’t leave my brother like that.”

“She didn’t jump,” Romeo looked at Spot, trying to ease the blonde girls mind. “Says ain’t never thought a’ it and gettin medicine for her brother was too important to give in to some ol’ fever.”

“There’s gotta be something else about that night, Ro, tell him there’s something else,” Dice was getting frustrated. 

Romeo nodded, “Dice, take a breath. I’m gonna tell him everything yous tell me to. Anythin bout that night?”

“Ain’t nothin I know,” Spot shrugged, “I’m awful sorry I ain’t able to help more. Kit will be able to help though. ‘S the Queens newsie they found her.” 

“Looks like wes headed to Queens, Dice,” Romeo smiled a bit. “Hey, Spot? Who’s the girl following you?” 

“The names Mary Anne,” she said confidently. “I’m his sister.” 

“Mary Anne. Died just a few years after you was born. Been followin you since. She your little sister, Spot.”

“Can I talk to ‘er?” He asked. “How I do that?”

“You just do. Just start talkin. Can’t respond until she able to do what fancy people callin “manifesting” nowadays. Take her a while but she able to do it, jus hard and might not be around for a bit after.”

Spot nodded a thank you and headed back to Brooklyn. Dice and Romeo headed off to Queens. The boy, Kit, said basically what Spot had said. Only this time he said there was a man followin her. 

“Between you ‘n me, I ain’t thinking it was an accident,” Kit leaned in and whispered. “Not the way she was runnin, not the way she was jumpin. Somethin happened that night.”

“Murder,” Romeo nodded. That night when Romeo and Dice were walkin back to the lodge, Dice said nothing. Not at first anyway. 

“Sorry for stopping you from selling today,” Dice said abruptly. Romeo was caught off guard a little. “I know ya need it. Sorry, Romeo.”

“Ain’t no problem, Dice. I can always sell tomorrow,” Romeo went silent, kicking a rock, “Dice, you need to remember. You gotta remember what happened that night. Did anything theys said today makes ya remember anythin? Tell me what you know.”

“I… i don’t remember much,” Dice hung her head, her blonde hair falling past her shoulders. She sighed and began telling the tale of that horrible night. 

~flashback bitch~

It was a chilly night. She was walkin across the bridge alone, Race wasn’t with her that day. And honestly, tonight was the night she needed him to be. 

There was a man. Big and tough and headed her way. The way he walked would strike fear into every woman walking alone, but not her. No, she wasn’t afraid of anything. That was the last time she felt that way. 

Before she knew it, she was running back to Brooklyn. The Brooklyn newsies would still be out, they were heathens. So she did what she could think of: she screamed for Spot and Race. That didn’t work out well. 

She hit the ground with a thud, her head throbbing. Fight or flight reflexes kicked in. She remembers the flight. She was up on her feet and running as far as she could. 

Someone was on the other side of the bridge. It was too dark for her to see who, but her adrenaline made a choice for her. She needed to get away from them. And the man was hot in her heels. So she ran to the middle of the bridge, shouted for Spot and Race once more, and jumped off the side. 

Her body hit the water and everything hurt. Every bone in her body hurt. Her head popped up above water and she coughed it out. Above her was a young boy shouting. But she couldn’t care less. Someone stood on the edge of the water and then…

~no more flashback biotch~

“That’s all I got, Ro,” she sighed. Romeo opened the door to the lodge and shut it behind him. 

“We’ll find more out soon, Dice,” he gave her a soft smile. “We have time.”


	3. What’s Happening?

Romeo and Dice entered the room. Newsies littered the room, playing card games and trading tales of interesting things that happened that day. Albert stood by the window. 

“Race here?” Spot poked his head through the window, lifting it up and putting his leg inside. 

“Uh wha-” Albert was cut off by Spot.

“Where’s Race? He got my red shirt,” Spot didn’t even look at Albert. The ginger held his hat in his hands. “Hey, Blue Jay, go get Race!!” 

“No problem boss!” a kid shouted off. Romeo watched as Spot looked around, looked at Albert, smiled, and headed back out. 

Albert looked at Romeo, “was that Spot Conlon?” Romeo nodded. “Damn,” Albert let out a puff of air, “he’s short.” Romeo smiled and nodded. 

“Don’t tell him that, he got a temper on ‘em,” Dice warned. Romeo heeded her warning, but didn’t bother telling Albert. He stole his marbles the other day, he deserved it. Sitting down on a bunk, he joined Mush in telling the younger newsies tales of far off lands and wonderful things they dreamed of but never had. 

After the third story, a small boy without sleeves, a dirt smeared face, and freckles everywhere ran inside and up the steps to Jack. The lodge went silent. A moment later, the boy and Jack rushed downstairs and the boy ran out. 

“Jack, what’s going on?” Romeo stepped towards him, but stopped when Jack turned around. 

“Race! Where’s Race?” Jack put a hand on Romeo’s shoulder. Romeo shook his head. “Blink! Mush! You two are in charge until I get back. Race comes back, don’t let him go to Brooklyn. No one goes out tonight.” 

And then Jack left them alone. Romeo looked at Dice. 

“Ro, we gotta go see what happenin,” Dice shook her head as she said it. 

“But Jack said-“

“Romeo. Trust me. We have to.”

Romeo nodded, “hey Mush!”

“Yeah?” Mush called back after tucking a four year old into bed. 

“I’m goin to the Bowery,” Romeo opened the window, already climbing out. 

“Don’t leave if ya goin. Ise gonna tell Jack ya ain’t got enough to stay tonight,” Mush looked over at Blink. Blink shrugged. “Be careful tonight, Ro.” 

Romeo climbed down the fire escape, Dice meeting him downstairs. The boy was starting s steady pace. Dice took off, running to Brooklyn. Shocked, Romeo ran after her. 

For one of the biggest cities in the world, Brooklyn was silent. No one in the upper class neighborhoods were outside. But people who worked every day to get even a scrap of food into their hands? They stood outside in shock remorse. Some older men and woman stood outside, tears staining their cheeks. Children of the poorer families stood by their parents, begging to go somewhere to see someone. 

No one looked at Romeo as he passed. A crowed was surrounding an alley. Romeo wiggled to the front. Jack was kneeling beside Spot, who was laying on the ground. Blood covered the Brooklyn boy. His breathing staggered and every time he blinked his eyes would stay close longer. 

“Come on, Spot, it’s not your time,” Jack pleaded with the shorter boy. “Those boys need you. Brooklyn needs you. New York needs you, Spot. Race needs you. Come on, Spot, stay awake.” 

Romeo got away from the crowd, covering his mouth with his hand as sobs shook his body and threatened to escape. He sat in a nearby patch of grass, waiting for Dice so they could go back home. When he stopped sobbing and the crowd cleared, he saw Jack drop to his knees and sob as his friend, his brother, was taken away to be buried. 

Tex came by, giving Romeo a sad smile as she wiped tears from her cheeks. She crossed the street to Jack. Romeo could hear what they were saying. 

“Come on, Jack,” Tex let out a sob, “it’s time to get you back to Manhattan.”

“He had so much left in him, Tex,” Jack’s voice broke as Tex helped him up. “He shouldn’t have gone.”

“I know. Let’s go to Manhattan,” Tex helped Jack back to Brooklyn. Spot appeared out of nowhere. 

“Jack?” He tilted his head. “Tex? Why are ya cryin? Tex? Tex!” Romeo watched as Dice approached Spot. 

“Hiya, Spotty,” she gave him a sad smile. “Been a while since I seen ya.”

“Dice, what- what happened?” 

“You died, Spot. This is the afterlife. Well, at the moment it is. We can’t cross over yet.”

“Why can’t I talk to them?” Spot asked. 

“They can’t see or hear us, but,” Dice looked over at Romeo, “Romeo can. We can move things and influence their decisions by whispering to them and we can protect people. But we can’t communicate.” 

“Now we got another person to help find out what happened to Dice,” Romeo smiled a bit. “Wanna stay in Brooklyn for the night?” Spot nodded. 

The three headed to the Brooklyn lodging house. On the way, Romeo smiled as Dice showed Spot the ropes of being a ghost. Blue Jay let them bunk there for the night. Romeo lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling thinking about how to tell Race that the love of his life had been killed.


End file.
